Tutorials: RCS Widget: Send & Wait for Reply
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Disclaimer: You must register to become a verified sender before using RCS. Please open a Support Ticket to initiate the process.
Last Updated: 1/23/2026
What is RCS?
RCS (Rich Communication Services) is the next generation of mobile messaging, designed to replace traditional SMS with a richer, more interactive experience. Delivered primarily through the Google Messages app, RCS transforms the simple text field into a dynamic, engaging communication channel. RCS messages are sent from a verified brand profile (not just a phone number), featuring your logo, brand name, and colors. This builds instant trust and significantly reduces the risk of phishing or fraud. Additionally, RCS messages can include actions/suggested replies, which are interactive buttons displayed with an RCS message. Up to 11 actions are allowed per RCS message.
The Send RCS & Wait for Reply widget sends an RCS message and pauses the flow until a response is detected or a timeout occurs. It enables two-way engagement by routing the flow based on the recipient's action. The flow resumes via:
- RCS/SMS Reply Received: For processing user input or keywords.
- No Reply (Timeout): To trigger a re-engagement nudge or close the session.
- Failed to Deliver: To initiate a channel-switch (e.g., falling back to a phone call or standard SMS).
Use Cases:
- Appointment Scheduling: "Reply 'YES' to confirm your 2:00 PM slot." The flow waits to either confirm the booking or suggest a new time.
- Customer Feedback: Sending a "Rate us 1-5" message. The flow branches into a "Thank You" for high scores or a "Support Escalation" for low scores.
- Two-Factor Authentication: Asking a user to tap a "Yes, it's me" suggested reply button before granting access.
Send RCS Message Widget vs. Send RCS & Wait for Reply Widget
The table below highlights the key differences between the Send RCS Message Widget and the Send RCS & Wait for Reply Widget. For guidance on sending one-way RCS messages that immediately advance the flow, see the Send RCS Message Widget tutorial
Feature |
Send RCS Message |
Send RCS & Wait |
| Primary Goal | Notification/Alerting | Engagement/Collection |
| Flow Impact | Instantaneous | Paused/Stateful |
| Best For | High Volume Updates | Decision trees & Support |
| Fallback Logic | Delivery failure only | Delivery Failure and Non-response |
To use the Widget simply click and drag it into the flow.
Note that naming the Widget can help identify it with tools later on. It is case sensitive, does not accept spaces or dashes.
The Send RCS & Wait for Reply widget has the following configuration abilities under Widget Settings:
Service Trunk Group
The service trunk group to use for sending the message. This is automatically set to the service trunk group associated with the Flow.
To
The contact phone number of the execution.
From
The sender associated with the flow.
Timeout
Time in seconds to wait for a reply.
Message Text
The RCS message content to send to the recipient.
The Send RCS & Wait for Reply widget has the following SMS/MMS Fallback capabilities under Advanced settings:
Enable SMS/MMS Fallback
Auto-switch to SMS/MMS if RCS fails.
Trunk Group
Trunk group for fallback delivery.
Fallback Recipient
The number receiving the fallback message.
Fallback Sender
Sender ID used for the fallback channel. This number must be assigned to a messaging application using this Flow.
Fallback Message Content
Simplified content optimized for SMS standards.
Multimedia Attachment (URL)
Optional, providing a valid URL will trigger an MMS fallback.
The Send RCS & Wait for Reply widget has the following Smart Content Translation capabilities under Advanced settings:
Enable Smart Content Translation (Optional)
Translate the message text to another language. If this option is selected, choose the language model, source language, and destination language for the translation.
Language Model (Optional)
The AI model utilized for the translation task. Currently, we only support Google as a vendor. Text is billed in 100 character intervals and pricing is based on the model selected.
- [Google] Large Language Model: use Google’s LLM to translate text. The LLM supports fewer language pairs than the NMT model, but large language models tend to generate more natural sounding translations.
- [Google] Neural Machine Translation: use Google’s NMT model. The NMT model supports many more language pairs, but may not be as natural sounding as an LLM.
From (required if Language Model is selected)
The language to translate text from. The input text should be typed in this language. Automatic language detection is only supported if the user chooses to use the NMT model.
To (required if Language Model is selected)
The language to translate to.
Actions/Suggested Replies are interactive buttons displayed with your RCS message. These buttons will appear in chronological order. Up to 11 Action Types can be added per RCS message.
For best practices, take a look at Google's Documentation.
Available Actions & Suggested Replies
Action Type |
Function |
| Suggested Reply | Sends a predefined reply that the user selects. |
| Open URL | Directs the user to a designated link. |
| Dial Phone | Directs the user to dial a phone number you specify. |
| Show Location | Displays a designated map location. |
| Request Location | Requests that a user share their current location. |
| Create Calendar Event | Creates a calendar event on the user’s device. |
To add a new action, click "+Add Action."
Select the desired action from the "Action Type" drop-down and enter the required information.
The order of the actions can be changed by using the move button.
The added actions will appear in the Actions drop-down of the Send RCS & Wait widget.
The red invalid settings symbol next to an action indicates that the action was not configured correctly. Return to the action to configure any missing information
The Send RCS & Wait for Reply Widget has the following transition capabilities:
RCS Reply Received
Activated when a RCS reply has been received from the recipient.
SMS Reply Received
Activated when a SMS reply has been received from the recipient.
No Reply
Activated when no reply has been received within the specified timeout.
Failed to Deliver
Activated when the original outbound message was unable to be delivered.
Now, you will connect the Send RCS & Wait for Reply Widget.
Adding the Send RCS & Wait for Reply Widget is completed!
To continue the flow, connect more Widgets to the opposite end of the Send RCS & Wait for Reply Widget.
Now connect more widgets! Click on the links below to view more tutorials:
Voice
- Answer Call
- Collect Input
- Connect Call
- Hang Up Call
- Pause Call
- Record Voicemail
- Say/Play
- Collect Payment
- Make Outbound Call
Messaging
Tools
Control
